The Dark Secret
by Turbo Time Twins
Summary: This story is set 5 years after the last book in the series, starting a new life for Sunkit, whose sudden change in plans may certainly ruin her future...
1. Chapter 1

Thunderclan (5 years later)

Leader: Squirrelstar

Deputy: Leafpool

Medicine Cat: Jayfeather

Apprentice: Snowpaw

Warriors: Brackenfur

Cloudtail

Brightheart

Thornclaw

Spiderleg

Birchfall

Whitewing

Berrynose

Hazeltail

Mousewhisker

Lionblaze

Cinderheart

Foxleap

Icecloud

Toadstep

Rosepetal

Blossomfall

Bumblestripe

Ivypool

Poppyfrost

Cherryfoot

Moleheart

Dewfrost

Amberstorm

Sorreltail

Lilydawn

Seedstripe

Apprentices: Rainpaw (Cinderheart's offspring)

Darkpaw (Cinderheart's offspring)

Queens: Dovewing (Sunkit)

Cherryfoot (Expecting Seedstripe's kits)

Elders: Sandstorm

Graystripe

Dustpelt

Chapter One

"Now, Snowpaw, you know what to do next, right?" Jayfeather asked, gazing his blind blue eyes at his apprentice. Snowpaw nodded. "Feel how strong the contractions are?" he stated. Jayfeather smiled. "Exactly, now, do it." he mewed. Snowpaw gently placed his paw on the flank of Dovewing, who didn't look very happy.

"How much longer to I have to do this?" she wailed in pain, curling up as a new wave of contractions hit. Jayfeather put his paw on her flank as well. "Not much longer…" he assured, gently pressing down. "You only appear to have two kits, so it should be easy." he added. Dovewing began panting quietly, glancing at Cherryfoot, who was heavy with her and Seedstripe's kits.

"Cherryfoot...why did you talk me into this?" she asked. Cherryfoot smiled. "Because you love Bumblestripe, that's why." she answered, sitting up to get a better look. "You're doing great. Just do what Jayfeather and Snowpaw says, and you'll be fine." she said. Dovewing glanced at Snowpaw, who was watching with wide eyes as contractions rolled under his paw.

"Now?" he asked Jayfeather. Jayfeather shook his head. "Not yet. They're not strong enough. Wait for the next one."

* * *

Bumblestripe paced outside the nursery, his tail flicking in worry. Seedstripe sat next to him, watching him with bright green eyes. "I'm sure she'll be fine. You don't need to worry, I mean, Jayfeather is in there with her." he assured. Bumblestripe flicked his ears, not answering as he paused, listening for any noise in the nursery. Dovewing's pants were audible, as was Jayfeather's quiet voice.

"I hope so…" he sighed, beginning to pace again.

* * *

Dovewing clenched her teeth, trying not to cry out as she felt stronger contractions. Snowpaw watched as a dark reddish brown kit appeared. He quickly picked it up in his paws and began to lick it. He stopped mid-lick, staring at the small kit. "Uh, Jayfeather? This one's not responding…" he said quietly.

Jayfeather's icy gaze met his. "What?" he asked. Snowpaw repeated himself. "This one won't move…" he said. Jayfeather quickly picked up the kit in his teeth and set it on the ground.

He quickly began licking it, but it wouldn't move. "Is something wrong?" Dovewing asked. Jayfeather began licking the kit quicker, but it still wouldn't move. "Dovewing, I-I think this one is dead…" he sighed, stopping his licking to look up at Dovewing. Dovewing looked completely horrified, as did Snowpaw. "It's all my fault...I told you I wasn't ready!" Snowpaw shrieked at Jayfeather, pelting out of the den. Bumblestripe's head shot up as he noticed the white streak running past him and out of the camp entrance.

Seedstripe noticed it as well, bolting after it. "Snowpaw! Wait!" he called, running up to the apprentice. Snowpaw stopped at the edge of the Moonpool, slumping onto the ground. "It's all my fault…" he whispered. Seedstripe sat down next to him. "What? What is your fault?" he asked.

Snowpaw explained how Dovewing's first kit had been born dead. "I must have d-done something wrong…" he sobbed, tears coming to his eyes. Seedstripe shook his head. "Starclan must have needed that kit with them. It was probably it's time to die anyway." he explained. "Come on…" he said, helping Snowpaw to his feet. "Dovewing still needs your help."

* * *

Snowpaw padded into the nursery, just in time to see Dovewing's second and final kit appear. Jayfeather looked up, his gaze focused on Snowpaw. He gently pushed the wriggling kit towards Snowpaw. "Here, lick it." he said. Snowpaw slowly padded up, beginning to lick the tiny kit.

It let out little mewls as he licked it's belly fur. "It's a she-kit." he said, placing the brown tabby next to her mother. Snowpaw smiled as he watched the kit's white tipped, bushy tail swish back and forth as it began to suckle. Dovewing smiled, glancing at Snowpaw. "Could you get Bumblestripe for me?"

* * *

Bumblestripe dashed into the nursery, the worry draining out of his eyes. "It's a she-kit." Dovewing told him as he leaned in to get a closer look. "She's perfect." he sighed. The kit stopped suckling as turned her head towards Bumblestripe, revealing bright orange eyes. Bumblestripe gasped happily.

"Look at her eyes! They look like little suns…" he said. Dovewing smiled. "Sunkit." she said, glancing at Bumblestripe, who nodded his approval. "Sunkit. It's perfect." he said. Snowpaw glanced at Jayfeather, who turned to leave.

Snowpaw blinked, taking one last look at Sunkit before exiting the nursery.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Sunkit bounded out of the nursery in the night, while her mother wasn't looking, dashing into the medicine den. She quickly found Snowpaw, who was getting ready for the gathering at the Moonpool. He jumped as he noticed Sunkit, then smiled. "What are you doing here little one?" he asked. Sunkit blinked.

"I dunno, I just wanted to see you." she mewed, glancing behind him at Jayfeather, who was padding forward towards her. "Sunkit, shouldn't you be with your mother?" he asked. Sunkit nodded slowly. "Yeah…" she mewed.

Dovewing padded in, glancing at Sunkit. "There you are! Come on...it's time for you to come back to the nursery." she said, picking Sunkit up by her scruff and taking her away. Jayfeather, sighed, mumbling 'stupid kits' under his breath before leading Snowpaw out into the night. "Ready to go?" he asked. Snowpaw nodded. "Yes…" he said, his tail flicking in nervousness.

He glanced up at the half moon, nearly tripping over his own paws as the two medicine cats headed for the Moonpool. Upon arrival, they noticed Littlecloud, Willowshine, and Kestrelflight. Willowshine smiled as the two of them walked up, sitting up slightly. "There you guys are! Where have you been?" she asked. Jayfeather snorted quietly. "Just some trouble with kits…" he sighed, padding over to the others. Snowpaw huffed, his opinion obviously differing from Jayfeather's.

"She said she just wanted to see me…" he mumbled, walking over to his mentor. Jayfeather flicked his tail in Snowpaw's face, stopping him. "Hold it right there, I need to do something before we meet with Starclan." he said, sitting up straighter, casting his blind blue eyes on Snowpaw. Snowpaw stared questioningly at Jayfeather, his ears tilted.

"I, Jayfeather, medicine cat of Thunderclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice." Snowpaw gasped in surprise, staring at Jayfeather. "Is he really making me a full fledged medicine cat?" Snowpaw thought. Jayfeather continued to speak. "He has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help he will serve his clan for many moons. Snowpaw…" Jayfeather started, turning towards his apprentice. "... do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between clan and clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"

Snowpaw stared wide eyed at Jayfeather. "I do." Jayfeather smiled. "Then by the powers of Starclan I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Snowpaw, from this moment you will be known as Snowclaw. StarClan honors your cleverness, skill, and determination, and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of Thunderclan."

Jayfeather stepped forward, resting his muzzle on Snowclaw's head. The other medicine cat's cheers could be heard as Snowclaw licked Jayfeather's shoulder. "Thank you Jayfeather…" he said, looking into the eyes of the blind medicine cat. "Don't mention it...you'll need it soon enough." Jayfeather said. Snowclaw blinked, swearing he could see worry filling the medicine cat's eyes.

Jayfeather blinked, and sat down next to the Moonpool, touching his nose against the cold stone ground. Snowclaw lie down next to him, doing the same.

* * *

The next morning, Sunkit bounded out of the nursery, dashing into the medicine den once again. She nearly ran into Jayfeather, who was sorting herbs. At least, he WAS, until Sunkit managed to mix them all up as she slid into the den. Jayfeather let out a long sigh in distress, his fur already raised in stress, and a little bit of fear. Sunkit noticed this, and gently padded up to him. "Jayfeather, what's wrong?" she asked. Jayfeather hissed quietly, attempting to stand. "You w-wouldn't understa-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-" Jayfeather's voice stalled, and he froze, his body twitching as it slumped to the ground. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he began gagging, blood dribbling out of his mouth.

Sunkit nearly shrieked in alarm, her eyes wide. "Jayfeather, what's happening?!" she wailed. Jayfeather barely managed to get his blind blue eyes set on her. "G-g-g-g-g-g-g-ge-et Sn-sn-sn-snowcl-c-c-c-law…" he snarled, his paws clawing at his sides involuntarily. Sunkit bolted outside, finding Snowclaw at the fresh kill pile. "Sn-SNOWCLAW!" she shrieked, nearly ramming into the medicine cat.

"J-j-j-jayfeather's having...a-a-a...a seizure or something!" she cried, running back towards the medicine den with Snowclaw following close behind. Snowclaw padded in, locating Jayfeather immediately before running up to him. "Jayfeather?" he whispered. Jayfeather didn't respond, his body no longer twitching, or moving. Sunkit let out a sob. "He's dead!" she shrieked, padding up to the former medicine cat and burying her head in his silver tabby fur. Snowclaw could hear her sobs, and could only imagined what she had witnessed before she had gotten him.

Snowclaw closed his eyes before letting out a gasp, his eyes shooting open as he suddenly realized what Jayfeather had meant last night. "You will need it soon enough…" he mumbled, glancing at Sunkit, who was still buried in Jayfeather's fur. Snowclaw quickly pulled her away, allowing the young kit to snuggle up to him. Her ears we lead back flat, and when he did see her eyes, they were wide in terror.

Dovewing, Squirrelstar, and Leafpool padded in. Leafpool looked completely and utterly horrified. "Jayfeather!" shrieked, running up to her son. "N-no...nnononononnno.." she whispered, glancing at Sunkit, who was still sobbing into Snowclaw. Dovewing padded up, taking her daughter away.

Squirrelstar padded up behind Leafpool, casting her gaze towards Snowclaw. "What happened?" she asked. Snowclaw shrugged. "Only Sunkit saw what happened, but she said it looked like he was having a seizure…" he said. Squirrelstar shook her head. "He was too young of a medicine cat to die…" she sighed, gently nudging her sister. "Come on, let's go tell the others."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Squirrelstar stood atop the Highrock, her eyes gazing the various clan cats underneath her. "Jayfeather's death is a great loss to the clan…" she started, glancing over at Lionblaze, who she could swear was crying as he buried his face in Cinderheart's fur. His kits, Darkpaw and Rainpaw sat behind him, their eyes wide in worry. Squirrelstar couldn't blame him, and she had even felt herself tearing up at the sight of Jayfeather that morning.

"Perhaps Starclan needed him with them…" she sighed, her eyes sweeping over the clan once more. Her eyes stopped as she noticed Sunkit, who had her head buried in her mother's fur. Cherryfoot was sitting further back, with Seedstripe next to her. Sandstorm, Dustpelt, and Graystripe sat the furthest back, closest to Jayfeather's unmoving body.

Ivypool sat next to her sister, with Cloudtail, Whitewing and Brightheart to her left. Snowclaw sat close to Brightheart, with Dewfrost and Amberstorm sitting close by, his tail sweeping back and forth in anxiety. Sorreltail was sitting on the other side of camp, with Lilydawn sitting close to her.

Squirrelstar continued to speak. "Our clan will remember his loss, and wishes him luck in Starclan." she concluded, hopping off of the Highrock and padding up to her sister, who had padded over to Jayfeather. "Why did he have to go?" she mumbled, snuggling up close to her son. Squirrelstar sighed, sitting next to her. "Perhaps Starclan needed him." she said, laying down next to her. Lionblaze, Cinderheart, and Dovewing padded over as well, sitting next to Jayfeather in vigil.

* * *

Sunkit curled up next to Cherryfoot, who was watching her as Dovewing sat vigil. Sunkit was trying to frantically explain what she had seen, with Cherryfoot listening intently. "H-h-he just started sp-sp-spazzing out, and th-then he fell on the ground!" she wailed, looking up into the blue eyes of Cherryfoot. "I'm sure it will be alright…" Cherryfoot sighed, nudging the kit closer to her. "I'm sure Starclan has a reason…"

Dovewing padded in, her eyes sad. "Come here Sunkit…" she said quietly, ushering her over with her tail. Sunkit slowly padded over, snuggling up close to her mother. "What about Snowclaw?" she asked. Dovewing shrugged her shoulders. "He will cope…" she said, closing her eyes. Sunkit sat up straighter, her eyes widening as she thought of something.

* * *

Squirrelstar padded forward, hopping onto the Highrock. Sunkit padded up behind her, standing up to the leader. Squirrelstar began to speak. "Sunkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as-" Sunkit jumped up. "Wait!" she meowed.

Squirrelstar jumped, her eyes wide in surprise. "What is it Sunkit?" Sunkit looked at her paws, her eyes wide. "I don't wanna be a warrior when I grow up. I wanna be a medicine cat." she said quietly. Squirrelstar gasped, as did the rest of the clan. "Wh-what?" Squirrelstar stuttered.

"I wanna be a medicine cat." she said louder. Squirrelstar looked at Snowclaw, whose eyes were wide. "Snowclaw...do you wish to take on an apprentice?" she asked. Snowclaw blinked before answering. "Uh, okay…" he said, padding up to the Highrock.

Sunkit stared at him, her eyes round. Snowclaw cleared his throat, looking at Sunkit. "Cats of Thunderclan, as you know, I won't be around forever…" he paused, remembering Jayfeather's death. Sighing, he continued. "So it's time I took an apprentice. I have chosen a cat who has shown courage and determination. Your next medicine cat shall be Sunpaw." he said, turning to Squirrelstar, who began to speak.

"Sunpaw, do you accept the post of apprentice to Snowclaw?" she asked. Sunpaw nodded. "I do." Snowclaw turned to speak. "Then at Halfmoon, you must travel to the Moonpool to be accepted by Starclan before the other medicine cats." Squirrelstar smiled. "The good wishes of all of Thunderclan will go with you." she mewed, turning to leave. Sunpaw padded forward, allowing for Snowclaw to touch her head with his muzzle. She, in turn, licked his shoulder. "Thanks Snowclaw!" she meowed, bounding off of the Highrock. Snowclaw padded after her, still in a little bit of shock. "Why didn't Starclan inform me?" he mumbled, glancing up at Sunpaw, who had dashed into the nursery.

* * *

Firekit and Willowkit, Cherryfoot's kits, bounced up to Sunpaw. "I can't believe you're a medicine cat!" Firekit meowed, his bright orange fur glowing in the sun coming through the roof of the nursery. Willowkit waved her tail back and forth, her blue eyes gazing across Sunpaw. "Yeah, you're so lucky!" she mewed. Sunpaw smiled.

"I wanted to, and I'm glad he accepted, but that means I can't sleep with you guys anymore…" she sighed. Willowkit's fuzzy gray ears drooped, and Firekit's green eyes looked down to the ground. "Awww…" he whined, padding forward. Sunpaw frowned. "I know, but I get to sleep in the medicine den!" she said.

Snowclaw padded in, nudging Sunpaw. "Come on, we have to go study the herbs so you know how to use them." he said. Sunpaw blinked, waving her tail in goodbye to her friends before following Snowclaw to the medicine den. Snowclaw had placed the various herbs on the ground so Sunpaw could see all of them. "I'll just teach you the main ones…" he said.

Sunpaw walked closer, sitting down in front of them. Snowclaw set next to her so he could point to each one. First, he pointed to a plant with bluish flowers and hairy leaves. "This is borage. It is normally used on pregnant or nursing queens to give them milk." His paw shifted to the left, pointing to a root with dark leaves and a sharp scent. "This is burdock root. It takes away the infection of rat bites."

Snowclaw shifted closer to Sunpaw, who was watching intently as he pointed to a delicious smelling herb. "This, is catmint. It cures greencough and whitecough." he explained, his gaze switching to another sweet smelling plant with fern like leaves. "This is chervil. It's normally used for queens whose kitting hurts more than normal." Snowclaw turned his head, coming to the last few.

"These…" he started, picking up a whitish thread-like material. "...are cobwebs. They are very important, and are used to stop bleeding in wounds." he said, his eyes turning to the next one. "This white flowered plant is yarrow." he told her, his eyes meeting hers. "This is for cat's who accidentally swallow something poisonous, and need to vomit. Speaking of poison…" he sighed, picking up the final herb lying on the ground, dark red berries.

"These are deathberries, and are VERY poisonous, and should never be eaten, and can kill a cat in seconds if they ARE consumed." he explained, placing the deathberries back on the floor. "And, those are the basics. I'll teach you more if needed, but those are the ones you need to know."

Sunpaw blinked, taking in all the new information. Snowclaw smiled, nudging her. "Can you repeat what I said?" he asked. Sunpaw jumped a little, letting out a sigh. "Um...okay…" she said, pointing to the first herb.

"Um, that's borage, for queens who need milk." Her gaze averted to the next herb. "That's burdock root, it...um...it heals rat bites…" she said tentatively. She pointed to the next herb. "That's catmint, it cures greencough and whitecough." she meowed, turning her head to the next herbs.

"That's chervil...for...um...for…" Snowclaw smiled, letting out a little chuckle. "That's for queens whose kitting hurts more than normal…" he told her. Sunpaw nodded. "And the others are cobwebs, yarrow, and deathberries. Cobwebs stop bleeding, yarrow makes cats vomit, and deathberries can kill cats if they are eaten…" she concluded, earning an approving meow from Snowclaw.

"Good!" he said with a smile. He glanced outside, noticing that it was actually getting darker. "Come one, we need to gather more catmint, since it's near leaf-bare." he told her. "Let's go before it gets dark." he said, leading Sunpaw outside. Sunpaw bounded towards the entrance, waiting for Snowclaw.

Snowclaw and Sunpaw padded out, heading into the forest. "Where is catmint usually found?" Sunpaw asked. "There is normally some in Twoleg nests, but I have recently found some near the border of Riverclan." Snowclaw said, starting to trot as they neared to border. Sunpaw noticed the greenish bush filled with it, and was surprised no Riverclan cats had taken it. "Does Riverclan ever take any of it?" she mewed.

Snowclaw shook his head. "It hasn't been here for long, so they wouldn't have the chance." he answered, padding up to the sweet smelling plant. He quickly picked some with his teeth, motioning Sunpaw over with his tail. "Here, pick it with your teeth right at the base of the leaves so it will grow back." he told her, placing his section down.

Sunpaw slowly stepped forward, taking to plant in her teeth. She pulled, releasing the leaves from it's stem. "Good!" Snowclaw encouraged, taking more in his mouth. "Keep doing that until there is just stems.

* * *

Sunpaw and Snowclaw padded into camp, catmint filling their mouths. Sunpaw glanced up at the sky, noticing the billions of stars. "I bet Jayfeather is up there…" she murmured. This made Snowclaw stop for a moment. He placed his catmint down to speak.

"I bet he is…" Snowclaw commented, continuing to walk towards the medicine den. The two medicine cats padded in, placing their catmint into the pile. "Why don't you get some sleep?" he sighed. I'll be in my nest if you need me." he said, heading towards his section of the den. He slowly lie down in his nest, his eyes drooping closed as he fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Snowclaw opened his eyes, blinking at the starry trees in front of him. "Am I dreaming?" he thought, slowly sitting up. A silver tabby tom appeared in front of him, his blue eyes watching Snowclaw. "Snowclaw, we have important news for you…" the cat said. Snowclaw simply stared at the cat. "Jayfeather?"

Jayfeather nodded. "Yes…" he said. Snowclaw blinked. "Can you see?" he asked. Jayfeather nodded again. "Yes, but Starclan has news for you…" he reminded Snowclaw.

Snowclaw blinked in confusion. "What is it?" Jayfeather glanced down at the ground, and soon, Sunpaw was visible, lying asleep in front of the herbs she was supposed to be sorting. Jayfeather let out a sigh. "She wasn't supposed to be a medicine cat." he said. Snowclaw gasped quietly.

"What?! What do you mean?" he asked. Jayfeather glanced at him. "Even Starclan was surprised when she asked to be your apprentice." he stated. "Her mentor was supposed to be Moleheart." he added. Snowclaw blinked slowly while Jayfeather continued.

"And since then, Starclan has seen a very troubling future in store for the young apprentice. And that one choice will change her, and your, life forever." Snowclaw stared at Jayfeather. "What will she do?" he asked. Jayfeather cast his blue eyes into Snowclaw's. "You will find out soon enough…"

* * *

Snowclaw's eyes shot open, and he glanced around the medicine den. His eyes met Sunpaw, who was still sleeping in front of the catmint. He quietly padded over, nudging her side with his paw. Sunpaw jumped, her eyes springing open. "I didn't fall asleep!" she yelped, slumping onto the floor.

Snowclaw smiled. "Go on to your nest, you can finish in the morning." he sighed, padding back over to his own nest. As he lie down, he could feel another cat's pelt brushing against his. He glanced down into the bright orange eyes of Sunpaw. "This isn't your nest…" he reminded her.

Sunpaw nodded. "I know, but, I'm not used to sleeping without being next to someone...can I sleep with you?" she asked quietly. Snowclaw let out a long sigh. "Fine, but only for tonight." he said, lying all the way down into his nest. He watched Sunpaw lie down as well, quickly snuggling into him. Her eyes closed, and almost instantly, her breathing slowed.

Snowclaw let out another long sigh, his worry high. Jayfeather's words echoed in his mind. "She will do something that will change her, and your, life forever." He blinked in confusion. "What will she do?" he thought, glancing at the sleeping apprentice next to him. "What could she do that would change MY life?" he whispered aloud, closing his eyes and involuntarily curling up around Sunpaw.

"I hope whatever it is, it isn't too bad…"

* * *

Sunpaw awoke in a starry forest. "Where am I?" she wondered, glancing around at the many starry cats before her. A familiar silver tabby appeared, his blue eyes glancing at her. Sunpaw jumped, before crying out. "Jayfeather!" she yelped, snuggling up to him.

"Am I in Starclan? Am I dead?" she asked, her voice little more than a squeak. Jayfeather shook his head. "No, young one. Starclan simply has a message for you." he said. Suddenly, an image flashed in Sunpaw's mind. There were two shadowy cats courting, looking as though they were about to mate. They were in the forest, far away from the other clans. Sunpaw recognized the scents of the two cats, but couldn't put her paw on it.

"Who are they?" she asked, watching with wide and curious eyes as the cats began to mate. She made a little 'ewww' sound with her mouth before Jayfeather waved his paw in her face, taking away the vision. Jayfeather simply stared at her. "They are two important cats from the future, and you know both of them well, especially one of them." he answered. Sunpaw stared at him.

"What are their names?" she asked while trying to get the picture out of her head. "I am unable to tell you this, although I know who they are." he said, standing up. "But, you will find out in the future." he added. Sunpaw snorted. "Well, then, what does this have to do with me?" she asked. Jayfeather paused, now unsure of what to tell her.

He simply shook his head before fading away.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Sunpaw opened her eyes slowly, her body trying to register that she was awake. She looked up, and noticed Snowclaw sleeping beside her. She nudged him gently, making him gasp and jerk awake. "Wake up!" she meowed. Snowclaw let out an annoyed hiss, slowly sitting up and stretching his claws.

"What are we going to do today?" she asked. Snowclaw yawned slowly. "Well, I heard the elders have ticks, we should probably fix that." he mewed. Sunpaw let out a groan. "But the apprentices are supposed to do that!" she whined. Snowclaw gently pushed her to the side. "But they are having their assessments today to become warriors." he said, standing up. "So, you're the only apprentice left to do it…"

Sunpaw groaned. "Fiiiine…" she sighed, sitting up. "What do I need to remove ticks?" she asked. Snowclaw padded over, pointing to some liquid in some leaves. "Use mouse bile." he instructed. Sunpaw quickly picked up the foul smelling liquid in the leaf and headed outside. Snowclaw followed her out, whispering something in her ear. "Make sure not to get it in your mouth…"

Sunpaw slowly padded into the elders den. Sandstorm looked up, blinking her dull orange eyes. "Oh, Sunpaw, are you here to help with these pesky ticks?" she mewed. Graystripe stretched out in his nest, unsheathing his claws. "That's good. They've been really getting on my nerves." he sighed. Dustpelt scratched his ear with his hind leg. "Don't I know it. There's really bad one near my ear."

Sunpaw smiled, enjoying hearing the elders talk. "Hey, do you guys think you could tell me a story of some sort?" she asked. The female of the group looked up. "What do you want to know?" she asked. Sunpaw pulled out the mouse pile and began rubbing it on her paws.

"Have there been any cats who...who snuck out of camp in the night to...to mate?" she asked. Graystripe's eyes lit up. "As a matter of fact…" Sandstorm hissed, shushing him with her tail. "Yes, we know about Silverstream, but I think the apprentice means Leafpool." she said. Dustpelt nodded.

"Why, yes!" he sighed. "Silly she-cats, thinking they can mate against the warrior code…" he said, glancing at Graystripe, who was licking his side. The warrior stopped, and turned to look at Dustpelt. "Hey now, Silverstream is another story!" Sandstorm let out a long sigh. "Here they go again...can't you two furballs be quiet for a little bit so I can answer her question?" she asked.

The two toms paused their bickering and glanced at Sandstorm, mumbling their 'okays'. Sandstorm sighed, turning to look at Sunpaw. "Sorry dear...well, it just so happens that Leafpool snuck out on the night of a badger attack!" she said, raising her voice with emphasis while Sunpaw padded over, rubbing the mouse bile along her shoulder. "With a Windclan cat named Crowfeather." she added, watching as Sunpaw let the mouse bile soak on her fur. Sunpaw padded over to Dustpelt, pressing the mouse bile up to his ear. Sandstorm paused her story, blinking a few times. "Well, that's actually all I know…" she meowed as Sunpaw headed towards Graystripe. "Graystripe, what about you and Silverstream?" Sunpaw asked. Graystripe blinked, actually surprised that someone wanted to hear his story.

"Well, it was a perfect day in greenleaf, and I was on my way to meet my love, Silverstream. She was already waiting for me in the ravine. But, she didn't look right. When she spoke, her voice sounded pained, like she was IN pain. I had asked her if she was alright, but at that moment, she collapsed, blood gushing out of her."

Graystripe paused, taking in a tentative sniff, like even talking about it was too much. Sandstorm let out a sigh, gently running her tail down his side. She then turned to Sunpaw. "Maybe he'll continue later…" she said, her ears twitching. "But, thank you for getting rid of our ticks!" she meowed. Dustpelt also said his thanks, as did Graystripe. Sunpaw said 'you're welcome' to them before padding out, wanting to hear the rest of Graystripe's story. Had it really been that bad to make the elder tear up?

Sunpaw sighed, padding into the medicine den. To her surprise, Leafpool was in there, talking to Snowclaw. Sunpaw padded up, her curiosity high. Leafpool jumped as she noticed her, then ran out, not saying another word. Snowclaw shook his head, letting out a sigh. "What's wrong with Leafpool?" Sunpaw asked. Snowclaw shrugged. "She was just talking to me about Jayfeather…" he sighed.

Sunpaw went to answer, but pricked her ears, and unfamiliar scent meeting her nose. Snowclaw noticed this. "What is it?" he asked. Sunpaw's eyes grew wide. "FOX!" she screamed, pelting outside. The large yellow eyes of a fox met her, pouncing out at her. All of the warriors streamed out of their dens, going to help the elders and the queens, while others tried to fend off the fox.

The fox growled in her face, it's claws digging into her chest. A flash of white hit Sunpaw's vision, and the fox was knocked off of her. "Go!" Snowclaw shrieked. "Get to the nursery!" Sunpaw bolted towards the nursery, and noticed Lilydawn and Amberstorm inside, trying to help Cherryfoot, Willowkit, and Firekit out. She quickly picked up Firekit by his scruff, instructing the others to go into the medicine den.

Sunpaw glanced at the cats battling the now four foxes, and her fur rose up along her back. She ran into the medicine den, setting Firekit down as Amberstorm set Willowkit down. Lilydawn helped Cherryfoot in while Sunpaw pelted back outside to find Snowclaw. "SNOWCLAW!" she shrieked, searching frantically in the furious battle.

She noticed his white pelt, clamped in the jaws of one of the younger foxes. Sunpaw let out a loud hiss, jumping forward and putting deep scratches in the fox's muzzle. The fox released Snowclaw with a shriek, turning tail. Sunpaw helped Snowclaw up, leading him to the medicine den. The white tom had deep bite marks in his side, and was bleeding profusely.

Sunpaw frantically grabbed some cobwebs, placing them against his wounds. "Snowclaw, please don't die…" she wailed. Firekit and Willowkit watched from afar, their eyes wide. Snowclaw looked up, his eyes clouded. "G-get...get some goldenrod…" he mumbled. Sunpaw frantically searched for the familiar yellow flowers, finally finding them and biting them to a poultice before pressing them against his wound.

Snowclaw let out a slight hiss in pain before looking up. "Go check o-outside to see if their are any other injured cats…"

Sunpaw hurried outside the den after asking Cherryfoot to watch over Snowclaw. She noticed the elders up in the leader's den, as well as a few bodies scattered around camp. Those who were not injured were helping the others. The first cat Sunpaw noticed was Brightheart, who lay motionless with Cloudtail right next to her. "Brightheart...please wake up…" he pleaded.

Sunpaw headed over, her eyes wide in fear. She then noticed that Brightheart's other eye had nearly the same injury as the other, and was bleeding heavily. Sunpaw gasped, gaping at her injury. "B-bring her to the medicine den, I'll be there soon…" she sighed, turning to help other cats. Thornclaw was helping Birchfall and Whitewing to their feet, and Squirrelstar was assisting Ivypool, who appeared to have a wrenched shoulder. Dovewing was helping Bumblestripe, who had a nasty scratch on his nose.

Leafpool limped forward out of the leaders den, and must have gotten injured helping the elders in there. Sunpaw padded over, inspecting her haunches. "Are your hips okay?" she asked. Leafpool shook her head. "When I was helping the elders up, I fell off the top of the Highrock funny…" she hissed, her voice edged in pain.

"Okay, let me help you into the medicine den…" Sunpaw meowed. Leafpool heavily leaned on Sunpaw, her hips giving in. As Sunpaw led her to the medicine den, she glanced over at Ivypool, who was limping towards the medicine den with the help of Squirrelstar. Sunpaw managed to get the injured she-cat into the medicine den, and suddenly realized she had her work cut out for her. Brightheart, Ivypool, Snowclaw, Bumblestripe, and Leafpool awaited her care.

Sunpaw let out a long sigh, padding up to Snowclaw first to see if he was all right. His breathing was slow, and he appeared to be asleep. She sniffed his wound cautiously, finding that the bleeding had stopped. Sunpaw let out a sigh of relief, next padding over to Bumblestripe, considering that he was her father. She inspected the gash on his nose, and gently placed some goldenrod, catchweed, and cobwebs on it.

"Make sure that doesn't fall off…" she informed her father. Bumblestripe nodded, licking Sunpaw on her head before following Dovewing out. She then headed towards the unconscious Brightheart, quickly placing a lot of cobwebs and calendine on her injured eye, under the supervision of Cloudtail. Sunpaw let out a long distressed sigh, turning to look at Cloudtail. "She's going to be blind now, you know…" she told him.

Cloudtail nodded his head. "I know…" he sighed, licking Brightheart's other eye. "I guess it's time for us to be in the elder's den then…" he said, bringing Brightheart out of the medicine den and to the elders. Sunpaw blinked slowly before heading towards Ivypool, whose eyes were closed in pain. "My shoulder hurts really bad…" she moaned.

Sunpaw nodded. "Looks like you snapped it out of it's socket…" she said. "I need you to lay down so I can push it back into place." she instructed. Ivypool quickly lie down, hissing in pain as Sunpaw placed her paws on her injury. "Ready? One...two...three!" Sunpaw pushed down hard, and a loud snapping sound could be heard, as well as a wail from Ivypool.

The she-cat's pain slowly subsided, and she let out a low moan. Sunpaw headed to the herb store and picked out some comfrey root, chewing it into a poultice, placing it on her shoulder, and putting catchweed on top. "There, do you need help getting back to the warriors den?" Sunpaw asked. Ivypool slowly nodded. Sunpaw turned her head, glancing at Cherryfoot. "Could you help her back to the den?" Cherryfoot nodded, helping Ivypool to her feet and out of the den.

Sunpaw let out a very long sigh, heading over to her last patient, Leafpool. The retired medicine cat was lying in the ground, her eyes squeezed shut in pain, her hips limp in their place. "Do you think my backbone is broken?" she asked, a vision of Briarlight in her mind. Sunpaw let out a snort. "I doubt it, you probably just fractured your hip." she sighed.

Snowclaw slowly opened his eye, watching Sunpaw carefully. Sunpaw gently placed her paws on Leafpool's hips, earning a suppressed scream from her. "See, you can feel it. You're backbone isn't broken…" she explained. "It will take some time to heal though…"

Leafpool watched her pad outside for a moment, before coming back in with a good sized stick in her jaws. The young medicine cat placed the stick next to Leafpool before grabbing a lot of cobwebs in her paws, wrapping it around the she-cat's hips, with the stick holding her hips in place.

"There…" she meowed, letting out a sigh. "That should hold for tonight." she added, turning to her own nest. "Is it okay if I rest now?" she said to herself, half talking to Starclan. She flopped down, taking one last glance at Snowclaw and Leafpool before falling asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Sunpaw's eyes shot open as she felt someone poke her in her side. She slowly opened her eyes, gazing up at Snowclaw. The white tom gently helped her to her feet, noticing how tired she looked. "You did excellent last night…" he said, praise filling his voice. He limped over to Leafpool, inspecting her hips.

"I see you wrapped a stick in between her cobwebs…" he observed. Snowclaw turned to look at Sunpaw, who had fallen asleep while standing. He nudged her with his tail, making her jump. "Wha-?" she mumbled, scrabbling up straighter. "Oh...th-thanks…" she stuttered, flicking her ears to keep awake.

Snowclaw slowly sat down, gently nudging Leafpool, who opened her eyes. Her gaze turned to slight surprise at the sight of Snowclaw. "Are you feeling better?" Snowclaw asked. Leafpool shook her head. "I can't feel my hips…" she sighed, sitting up a little straighter with a hiss.

Sunpaw slowly padded forward, inspecting her hips before looking up at Snowclaw. "What should I do?" she asked. Snowclaw flexed his injury slightly, wincing a little. "I'll take care of it, you need rest." he sighed. Sunpaw shook her head.

"I want to help…" she murmured, her eyes closing for a second before popping back open. Snowclaw let out a snort. "Fine, why don't you see if the elders need any help?" he told her. Sunpaw slowly nodded. "Okay…" she mumbled, padding outside and heading towards the elders den. Sandstorm, Graystripe, Dustpelt, Cloudtail, and Brightheart were present, but Brightheart was still sleeping. Sunpaw headed over, sniffing her eye. "Has she woken up since last night?" she asked them.

Sandstorm shook her head. "No, I'm afraid she hasn't…" she meowed, beckoning Sunpaw over with her tail. "Come here young one, you look exhausted." she mewed. Sunpaw padded over, laying down next to the elder. "N-no...I'm f-fine, really…" she stuttered, feeling her eyes close.

Sandstorm let out a purr of amusement, pulling the tired apprentice closer with her paw. She watched as Sunpaw slowly grew limp, her breathing growing slow. "I told her she was tired…" Sandstorm chuckled.

* * *

Snowclaw paced back and forth in front of Leafpool, who was grooming herself. "Do you think I should?" he asked. Leafpool nodded. "She deserves it." she meowed. Snowclaw smiled. "Yes, you're right, I'll go ask Squirrelstar."

* * *

Sunpaw jerked awake as she felt someone nudge her. She looked up, her orange eyes meeting Snowclaw's blue ones. "Come on. Darkpaw and Rainpaw are becoming warriors." he mewed. Sunpaw slowly sat up, shaking her fur and heading outside.

Darkpaw and Rainpaw stood proudly on top of the Highrock, Rainpaw sporting a scratch down his gray pelt, and Darkpaw having a nick in his ear. Squirrelstar padded out, turning to the apprentices. Sunpaw started to ignore what they were saying, only making out her clanmate's cheers. "Rainclaw! Darkflight! Rainclaw! Darkflight!"

She jumped as she felt a paw prod her. Snowclaw was smiling, gesturing towards the Highrock. Confusion filled her as she followed him up. "Squirrelstar says I can make you a full medicine cat, even if you did only have a few days of training." he meowed. "But don't I have to do it at the Moonpool?" she asked. Snowclaw shook his head. "I recieved a dream from Starclan last night, it's okay." he meowed back.

Sunpaw blinked, not entirely getting it, but stopping at the top, with Squirrelstar watching her proudly. "Now, I know this isn't how I'd normally say it, but this is how Starclan told Snowclaw." Squirrelstar cleared her throat before speaking. "Starclan has come to look upon a special medicine cat. One whose actions deserve what she's getting. May Thunderclan welcome Sunstrike."

The clan cheered for her new name, despite her short training. "Sunstrike! Sunstrike!" they cheered. Snowclaw looked genuinely happy, but worry clouded his eyes. Sunstrike smiled, starting to pad forward, before a sudden wave of nausea filled her. Her eyes closed as the cold stone of the Highrock met her.

* * *

Sunstrike opened her eyes, feeling a bad headache, and a strange feeling inside of her. She glanced up at Snowclaw, who looked even more worried than he had before, but his face filled with relief. "Got too nervous, did you?" he chuckled, handing her some poppy seeds. Sunstrike nodded slowly, taking the poppy seeds and eating them quickly. As she looked up at Snowclaw, she suddenly realized what might have made her faint on the Highrock, and now this new feeling she felt.

Love. Love for the snowy white medicine cat standing before her.


	7. Chapter 7

(sorry this is so short and skips ahead so far, but it's an important part, and I couldn't think of anything to put in the middle...)

Chapter Six

Sunstrike padded forward, leading Snowclaw into the deep forest, far from the clans. She loved him, and had decided to show it tonight, considering she had just gone into heat. Snowclaw took in a shaky breath, since it was the middle of leaf-fall. "Are you sure you saw feverfew out here?" he asked. Sunstrike smiled. "I think…" she meowed, her careful personality becoming twisted as he female instincts kicked in.

Sunstrike suddenly turned around, knocking Snowclaw to the ground, her eyes glowing in the moonlit night. "Sunstrike? What are you doing?!" he yelped. Snowclaw began to feel nervous, considering how his hidden love for Sunstrike could take him too far in the direction he thought she was leading. "Oh, nothing…" she meowed quietly, pushing her face closer to his. "Just thought we could...get to know each other better…" she added.

Snowclaw began to sweat. "W-well, I...uh…" he stuttered. Sunstrike placed her tail over his mouth to silence him. "I love you Snowclaw…" she confessed, gently pawing at his chest. Snowclaw coughed nervously, his eyes wide. He tried to say something, but ended up stuttering. Sunstrike smiled. "So you DON'T deny it?" she whispered in his ear, her tail making it's way back to his hind legs. Snowclaw still didn't answer, jumping out from under her. "Sunstrike, this isn't right, we're medicine cats for Starclan's sake!" he meowed. Sunstrike shook her head. "I don't care." she mewed, padding up to him.

Snowclaw stumbled backwards, tripping over his own paws. "I understand you like me…" Sunstrike hissed slightly. "Love you…" she added. Snowclaw nodded. "I understand you love me...but...we can't be mates. It's against the warrior code…" he told her.

Sunstrike jumped forward, clearly not listening. "I don't care. I love you." she said. Snowclaw let out a long sigh, succumbing to the pressure he was under. "I-I love you too…" he murmured, sitting up. Sunstrike tackled him to the ground again, licking his neck. "So...if we love each other, that means we can mate, right?" she questioned. Snowclaw blinked, his tom instincts kicking in, totally forgetting about the warrior code now. "I suppose…" he sighed, a hint of playfulness in his voice. Sunstrike smiled, her tail making it's way down to his hind legs again. "Then...we might as well…" she mewed, turning over, allowing Snowclaw to climb on top of her and grab her scruff…

* * *

Jayfeather watched from Starclan, his eyes wide with worry as the two cats began to mate. He could imagine when Sunstrike was an apprentice, unknowingly watching herself mate with Snowclaw long ago. He let out a distressed sighed, turning to the cat behind him. "What do we do now Firestar?" he asked.

Firestar blinked, padding forward to watch the image before them. "We see what happens." he meowed. Jayfeather hissed loudly. "But we can't just leave them to do this! Something needs to happen!" he hissed. Firestar nodded.

"Fine, we make her forget, but let Snowclaw remember, and leave him to decide if he wants to tell her or not."

* * *

Snowclaw toppled over as Sunstrike hissed at him, lashing out with unsheathed claws. She quickly rolled over a few times before sitting up, licking her paws and washing her face off. Snowclaw shook his head, his old memory coming back. "Oh, Starclan, no…" he mumbled in horror, putting together the last few minutes.

Sunstrike glanced at him, her eyes wide in confusion as she stopped washing herself. "What's wrong? Did you find the feverfew we were after?" she asked. Snowclaw flinched. Had she forgotten what just happened?! Snowclaw put two and two together. "This is what Jayfeather meant about her troubling future!" he thought. "And now Starclan is making her forget...like a curse…" he mumbled.

Sunstrike glanced him over. "Are you alright?" she sighed, padding up to him. Snowclaw nodded slowly. "Y-yeah, I'm fine…" he murmured, standing up. "Come on, let's get back to the clan…" he said, leading the way back home.


	8. Chapter 8

(Hey, sorry this skips ahead too, but there was really no reason for stuff in the middle...but, this is the end! I had fun writing it, but it was more or less a writers block 'fix', you know?)

Chapter Seven

Sunstrike's eyes shot open, her body contracting violently. Terror filled her as she felt herself call out, alerting Snowclaw immediately. The medicine cat shot up, his eyes wide as he quickly padded over to Sunstrike. "What's happening?" Sunstrike wailed, her eyes wide in fear, her pupils dialating. Snowclaw blinked, watching as Sunstrike's body contracted once more, causing her to cry out.

Snowclaw let out a huff, trying to decipher what was wrong. "Well, what hurts?" he asked. Sunstrike let out a wail, clenching her teeth as her body curled up in pain. "My stomach! It feels like someone is trying to rip it out!" she spat, snarling in agony. "Make it stop!" she added. Snowclaw blinked, flicking his ears in confusion. His ears shot up as he thought of something.

"Stretch out, all the way." he instructed. Sunstrike glared at him, but did as she was told, forcing her body not to curl up. Snowclaw bent down, placing his ear against her flank.

And he swore he could hear it. "You're in labor. We need to leave, now." he said flatly, although his eyes were wide as he turned around to leave. Sunstrike froze. "What?!" she screeched. Snowclaw let out a growl, whirling back around. "We need to get out of here, right now! Did you not hear me?!" he exclaimed loudly, forcing Sunstrike to her feet.

Sunstrike's body began to shake as Snowclaw helped her out of the back way of the medicine den. "Where are we going?" she hissed, closing her eyes tight as contractions wracked her body. "Somewhere that isn't here." Snowclaw replied, his voice laced with worry. His head tilted up at a tree with an opening in the middle. "Do you think you can get up there?" he asked.

Sunstrike nodded slowly, scrabbling up the side of the tree, her claws digging in deep as contractions shook her body half-way up. "Help me up!" she cried. Snowclaw hopped up on two feet, pushing her up the rest of the way, following her in.

Sunstrike padded to the back, curling up tightly on the floor of the tree. "How in Starclan did I get pregnant?!" she asked Snowclaw, who flinched at the question. Before he could answer, a flash of white, and a starry furred cat appeared. "Jayfeather?" Snowclaw hissed. Jayfeather nodded, letting out a snarl. "You want to know how? Why don't I just show you?!"

An image flashed in Sunstrike's mind, a vision of her when she was an apprentice, sitting next to Jayfeather. She was watching an image from the future with Jayfeather, who was showing two cats mating. Sunstrike shook her head, taking away the vision. "That's not me, is it?!" she screeched. Jayfeather nodded, his eyes slits.

"Who's the cat I was mating then?!" she added. Snowclaw's head dropped, and he didn't answer. Sunstrike's eyes dialated. "You?! B-but, why you?!" she yelped. Snowclaw let out a sigh.

"It's not my fault! You were the one who was acting all lovey! My tom instincts just kicked in!" he retorted. "What?!" Sunstrike hissed. Jayfeather growled quietly. "I guess I'll return your memories…" he sighed. Another flash met Sunstrike, and her memories flooded in.

Her mooning over Snowclaw in the middle of the night, urging him to mate with her. And then, they did. Sunstrike gasped, closing her eyes tightly as contractions wracked through her again. She opened her eyes, but only Snowclaw stood before her. Sunstrike let out a wail, staring at him with wide eyes. "Snowclaw, this hurts REALLY bad…" she moaned, curling up tightly, her body tensing every few seconds. Snowclaw padded forward to reply, but an image flashed in his eyes. There were a few cats in a ravine. A silver tabby queen lay in a pool of blood, half-dying as she gave birth to two kits. "Graystripe?" she whispered. "Take care of our kits…"

Snowclaw stumbled forward, and met the eyes of a gray she-cat. "I can help." she meowed. "Who are you?" Snowclaw asked. "I am Cinderpelt. I already watched one cat die like this, and I can't watch it again…" she mewed. Sunstrike stared with wide eyes as Cinderpelt padded up, expertly placing her paw on Sunstrike's flank. "They're overdue…" she told Sunstrike gently. "They may be hard to push out." she added.

Sunstrike blinked, her pupil's turning to slits as her body convulsed. "It hurts too much…" she hissed, unsheathing her claws and scraping them across the ground. She let out a sudden gasp as he paws felt liquid. She glanced at her hindquarters, and noticed blood, a lot of it. Her eyes grew very wide as her mind filled with terror.

Cinderpelt turned to Snowclaw. "Get borage leaves, chamomile, chervil, raspberry leaves, and a large stick." she instructed him. Snowclaw bolted out of the tree as Cinderpelt turned to Sunstrike. "It's going to be okay, I just need you to calm down, take deep breathes." she mewed. Sunstrike nodded, although continued panting heavily, letting out quiet moans every few seconds.

Snowclaw soon returned, carrying all of the herbs Cinderpelt had asked for, placing the stick next to Sunstrike. Cinderpelt picked up the herbs in her mouth, chewing them into a poultice and placing them next to Sunstrike as well. "Eat these." she ordered, watching as Sunstrike chewed the bitter herbs. Her panting only grew, and she let out a stifled wail, clawing at the ground as more blood poured out of her. Snowclaw padded to her side, lying down next to her, gently licking her head.

Cinderpelt put her paw on Sinstrike's flank, frowning. "Something's still not right…" she mumbled. Sunstrike flinched, letting out a shriek as her vision clouded. Cinderpelt gasped, leaning in closer. "Sunstrike, you have to stay awake!" she exclaimed. Sunstrike's eyes slowly began to close, her vision spinning. Cinderpelt's distorted, terrified yowls could be heard, as well, and Snowclaw beginning to flip out in fear.

"No, she can't be dying!"

"I don't understand! I-I..can't let another cat die!"

"Sunstri-!"


End file.
